On Wednesday, 13 November, the EDUC commission of the Committee of the Regions held its 20th meeting. Among the opinions discussed, of particular importance is the opinion on "European single market for electronic communications", the European Commission's proposal to enable citizens and businesses to access electronic communication services wherever they are in the Union without any additional costs. The Committee of the Regions strongly welcomed the objective of the proposal but stressed that, due to significant disparities on the ground, a gradual, multi-speed approach to implementing the proposed measures, which would also leave considerable autonomy to Member States and regions, is the only option.
Other two dossiers discussed were the Commission's communications "European higher education in the world", on modalities to enhance the attractiveness of European education institutions in the world, and "Opening up education", which discussed innovative teaching and learning through open educational resources. The constructive atmosphere at the meeting is illustrated by the curious fact that all tabled amendments were adopted.
The EDUC commission members also supported the proposal to hold one of their meetings next year on "Promoting Cultural and Creative Sectors as key Contributors to Boosting Local and Regional Competitiveness and Attractiveness". The EA group coordinator for the EDUC commission, Mr Stewart Maxwell, stressed during the discussion that it is of fundamental importance that members of the Committee of the Regions articulate the voice of European local and regional authorities not only from big cities, but even more from small communities all across Europe which have a lot to offer and very often meet huge challenges to keep up in fields such as education, culture and creative industries.
